Yes! There are rooms in Dickinson. Room availability is much better this fall than what we have seen in quite some time. Some of the energy workers have either relocated to crew camps, apartment housing, or residential properties, bringing more rooms online for other business or leisure travelers.

Lodging rates have decreased for visitors. If you are a state employee, some of the hotels are honoring state rates again. We do continue to urge consumers to check our website, call ahead and call the local front desk phone number to check on and book rooms.

Thinking about your association's annual meeting? The CVB can assist with room rates and finding availability. Visit our Meeting Planning section on the web for more information.

Calendar of Events

There is always something going on in Dickinson! For the most updated and thorough list of events occurring in Dickinson, visit our website. www.visitdickinson.com/events

If you know of, or are hosting, an event that brings people to Dickinson, let us know and we will enter your information.

CVB News

The CVB is now the proud owners of a blog. Be sure to visit our blog and read our new entries!

Many new items have been added to the Gift Shop at the CVB. Several products are North Dakota-made, while others are oil-related products. Bakken coasters, hats, and miniature oil derricks make great gifts from right here in oil country. New North Dakota items include Chokecherry Mustard, Chokecherry Horseradish, Creamed Clover Honey, Chokecherry Taffy, Apple Horseradish, Mustard Horseradish, Rhubarb Chipotle BBQ Sauce, and Bison Jerky. New Bakken oil t-shirts and caps are new, in addition to Dickinson clothing. There are also large and small lollipops for the kid in all of us. Stop in and see our expanded gift shop!

Lodging Happenings

The Astoria Hotel & Event Center completed their event center in September and includes over 16,000 square feet of meeting and event space. In addition, the Astoria opened their Lobby Bar and it includes a full bar, black jack, pull tabs, and pool tables.Value Place Extended Stay opened in July 2013 with 128 lodging rooms.

Take a trip down memory lane at the Dickinson Museum Center’s Joachim Museum!

The Museum has displayed many photos of Dickinson and surrounding areas from the late 1800s to the early 1980s. “Improving Our Photographic Memory,” is a multi-year project to digitize and preserve the tens of thousands of photographs and negatives in its collections. The collections primarily contain the work of two of Dickinson’s most prominent photographic studios - the Osborn Studio and the Presthus/Horstman Studio. Many of the photos have been printed on beautiful canvas and are available for purchase.

In addition, the Joachim Museum’s newer exhibit “Ralph R. Doubleday: Rodeo Photographer,” a photographic and digital presentation that documents the work of one of America’s first and most notable rodeo photographers and former Dickinson resident.

Dickinson State University will be hosting an Outdoor Family Movie Night on October 2, at the Biesiot Activities Center. “Fast and Furious 6,” rated PG-13 will be shown and individuals are encouraged to bring blankets and sit on Fisher Field or to utilize bleacher seating to watch the film. Concessions will be open and available for purchase during the event. No outside food or drinks are permitted in the facility.

The purpose of the Outdoor Family Movie Nights is to provide good and meaningful entertainment for the entire family, while allowing them to spend quality time together.

The event is open to the public. Tickets are $5 per person or $10 per family at the door. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. DSU students, faculty and staff are free with a valid DSU ID.

Dickinson Expo 2013

The Dickinson Expo 2013 was held at the Astoria Hotel & Event Center on September 14. This was the first major event to take place at the newly-opened Event Center.

Visitors to the Expo were able to shop from over 50 vendors showcasing their products and had a chance at winning more than 75 door prizes. The event included several makeover reveals and a fashion show. Cooking demonstrations and gardening seminars took place throughout the day and the Dickinson High School’s cheerleaders assisted with the lunch.

The event was nothing short of food, fashion, fun, and so much more!

Pride of Dakota Harvest Showcase a Success

The 5th Annual Pride of Dakota Harvest Showcase was in Dickinson on September 15 & 16 at the Dickinson Recreation Center. The event included 80 Pride of Dakota companies and over 2,600 visitors.

All of the products are made right here in North Dakota by North Dakotans. Many vendors offered samples.

If you missed the showcase or attended and need to order some products, visit Pride of Dakota for a complete list of vendors.

The Best of 2013 award distinguishes these property teams for their commitment to providing exceptional customer service first and foremost, as well as dedication to high quality accommodations and consistent brand performance.

This year, the CVB assembled 925 hunting packets that will be dropped off at hotels for the visiting hunter’s convenience. The complementary packets contain an abundance of hunting information, ranging from the Plots Guide to a list of outfitters.

The packets are also available for pickup at the CVB office. Stop by and pick up your free packet today!

Downtown Dickinson Association

The Downtown Dickinson Association elected its Steering Committee this past August. Members include:

Liz Bollinger – The Brew

Cami Havelka – Lillian’s

Jayme Heick – Moe Moe’s Garden

Kevin Holten – Dkn Press/Old Fellows/Sneak Peak

Christa Kiedrowski – American State Bank

Bernie Marsh – The Esquire

Josh Nichols – DSU Strom Center/Odd Fellows/Sneak Peak

Mike Riesinger – The Brick House

Kristi Schwartz – Allstate Insurance

Laurie Strommen – Quality Quick Print

Cooper Whitman – Dickinson Chamber of Commerce

Laurie Willett – Rohrs West

The group is meeting to organize the bylaws, elect officers and create the formal organizational format to begin to revitalize the downtown area, while working with the City Commission and the Roadmap to 2035 plan.

Several of the individual businesses are actively organizing and promoting Fall Events on their own, including the Fall Festival that was held September 21st, Trick or Truck – October 31st, Hunting Widows Weekend – November 7th and 8th, Small Business Saturday – November 30th, and Ladies Night Out – November 23rd.

For more information go to www.downtowndickinson.com (the site may be under current construction, and if so, please check back!).

Bakken Construction Summit

The Bakken Construction Summit, held September 25 & 26 in Bismarck, brought together the construction and real estate development industries, service providers and other stakeholders to connect and explore construction and development markets and opportunities throughout the Williston Basin.

In 2012, the cities of Williston, Dickinson, and Minot had building permit valuations of roughly $440 million, $408 million, and $247 million respectively. Factor in Watford City, Stanley, and Tioga and the value of construction activity in western North Dakota was well over $1 billion.

One of the breakout sessions was the Hotel Market in Western North Dakota, speakers on the panel discussion included:

Terri Thiel - Dickinson CVB

Wendy Howe - Minot CVB

Amy Krueger - Williston CVB

Dean Ihla - ND Tourism

Lizzette Casrain - Hotel Valuation Services

While hotel construction will continue in western North Dakota, the pace of new hotels will, if not already, begin to slow down. Occupancy rates are expected to level off between the 60% - 70% range and Average Daily Rates (ADR) to follow. Long term housing, industry costs and increased available properties have changed the market demands that the industry has seen the past few years.

Be Hospitable to International Guests

How can you make a guest that is upset with their long wait at the border crossing or airport feel better about their visit to North Dakota? Just be nice. One of the most common complaints from international travelers arriving via airlines or by car is the wait time and treatment at our borders.

“There is very little we can do to change the way they are treated but this should serve as a reminder to all of us that we need to welcome and treat our guests with our friendly North Dakota spirit,” said North Dakota Tourism International Marketing Manager Fred Walker.

Walker said the tourism industry has heard of, and understands, the challenges guests are having at the borders.

“We can’t control that,” Walker added. “Just show them what you’re made of. Give them the old North Dakota hospitality so they return home with apositive experience.”

Five Ways Small Businesses Can Make the Most of Facebook

Use Photos to Share Your Products and Services: Photos are the most effective means of driving engagement on Facebook, because people are innately visual and Facebook caters to this fact. The more quality interactions customers have with your photos on Facebook, the more word of mouth marketing works to spread the news of your business to your customers and their Facebook friends.

Facebook Offers: Advertise your online or in-store sales using Facebook's new ad unit called Offers. This ad allows a business owner to highlight their existing promotions within the Facebook's ecosystem to a larger audience than they would be able to regularly reach when posting.

Install Free Apps on Your Page: Every Facebook page has a banner displaying four tabs at the top right, below your cover photo. You can change and customize your business using the three tabs to the right of the photo tab, which allow you to highlight applications of your choice, free or paid. It is recommended that you add apps to these tabs to provide a more engaging experience. There are plenty of free applications to choose from. Start by searching the Facebook App Center for apps you would like to add to your page and if you come up short, use a search engine to find a Facebook app.

Schedule Posts from Facebook: Facebook allows page owners to schedule posts to be published at a later date. Set aside time to schedule posts at the beginning or end of the week to make sure you're giving your business proper coverage on Facebook, while saving yourself time. This feature allows admins to schedule links, photos, status update and videos ahead of time.

Interact with Customers Right from Your Smartphone: When a person posts on your wall or on a post shared on your Page, it’s extremely important to respond with insightful information in a timely manner when appropriate. Answering questions, responding to compliments, dealing with complaints and removing spam is one of the most important ways to give your audience the best experience possible on Facebook.